2023 MLB Futures: Best Bets For Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox Futures Bets

The 2023 MLB season begins on March 29 and BetQL is your one-stop shop for daily best bets, expert picks, public data, written analysis and more from the first pitch to the last. Before the season begins, I’m going through all 30 teams, detailing futures to target for every club and touching on some of the most intriguing storylines from around the league.

Three major rule changes will come into play this year, as a pitch timer, shift restrictions and bigger bases will be introduced. The pitch timer helped reduce game length by 25 minutes in the minors last year, shift restrictions increased batting average and decreased strikeouts and bigger bases not only improved player safety, but resulted in more steals and a better product. These changes can and most likely will have major on-field impacts, which makes predicting outcomes even more difficult in 2023.

Let’s take a look at the 2023 White Sox.

Chicago White Sox Roster

After what can only be described as one of the more disappointing seasons in recent memory from a team that had championship aspirations, the White Sox realized that they needed to do something quickly to change the culture of this team.

The main core is still here, with guys like Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jimenez all back, but they did lose the longtime veteran and heart of the team in Jose Abreu. Other guys like Yasmani Grandal will still be in place, but the expectation for him has decreased significantly since he signed. Moving off of Tony La Russa was the biggest step forward for this team after making the still mind-boggling decision to hire him as a manager in the first place, replacing him with Pedro Grifol, which makes more sense. So, will the talent finally live up to what the team had called "World Series contender" status before last season, and will the culture change in the clubhouse with a new manager?

With the recent news of closer Liam Hendriks’ battle with cancer and MLB’s investigation into newly-signed Mike Clevinger, 2023 is already off to a rough start. However, there are several reasons to think they can turn things around. Let's start with Grifol and the new coaching staff. I can't stress enough how much of an impact this will have on the team in 2023. Tony La Russa was simply not fit to manage the White Sox in 2021 or 2022. Aside from his obvious in-game mistakes and failures, his postgame comments were sometimes just plain confounding, and his leadership in the clubhouse could definitely be questioned. Bringing in a guy like Grifol, who is far younger and more relatable to today's game, can make a world of difference. Grifol talked about his desire to implement analytics, as well as put a greater emphasis on game preparation.

Aside from a much-improved coaching staff, the Sox made a significant signing with the addition of Andrew Benintendi. He is coming off an All-Star season in 2022, despite hitting just five home runs. He will be playing in a far more hitter-friendly park, and I think we should see some of that power return. Not only is this important because he brings a reliable left-handed bat and Gold Glove-caliber defense in left field, but also because we can finally get Jimenez to the DH spot where he belongs. It is well known that Jimenez is not a very good defender, but it is even more about the injuries he sustains out there. This will protect him while also improving the defense and allowing him to focus on his offense, which can be explosive.

Elvis Andrus will return next season, and that is huge for filling the hole at second base. Andrus slashed .309/.464/.773 and slammed nine homers in just 43 games after he signed mid-season last year.

Chicago White Sox Best Bets

Over 83.5 regular season wins (-105, FanDuel) is a risky move based on what we saw last season, but on paper, this can still be one of the best teams in the entire AL. They have the talent to win a World Series championship, but need to prove that they are who we think they are. This was a team that had a 32.6% chase rate last season, 2nd worst in MLB. That needs to improve significantly.

Another bet that I like coming into this season is for Tim Anderson to be the Regular Season Hits Leader (+1300, BetRivers). Anderson has led the league in hits before and is a former batting champion. He's easily the most reliable bat in the lineup for getting a hit when the team needs it, and his ability to make contact is one of the best in baseball. This is a huge number, and if the team can have a bounce back season, I think he can as well and get back to the player that he has been for the previous few seasons.